a dash of Paris, travels and everything else

March 15, 2016May 2, 2017

Freewheeling into creepy expressionism

Đà Lạt was kind of a disappointment. Its French colonial villas give the city a European vibe, but as a honeymoon capital, the city’s attempt to live up to its reputation as Le Petit Paris borderlines on kitsch.

I guess that’s as good a reason as any to visit the city’s notorious Crazy House, an architectural masterpiece of freewheeling expressionism, creepiness and gaudiness combined into one. Imagine Gaudi’s La Pedrera and Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland throwing a psychedelic party.

Built by Hang Nga as an homage to nature (hence the fake vines and tree branches), this guesthouse is so bizarre that it’s more creepy than rustic or natural. It is, also, incredibly dangerous! Its arched stairs extend high above the grounds, with vine-like railings that sit well below your waist. If you’re an acrobatic photographer, you may just accidentally tip over the vines and fall to your death. Says the acrophobic.